Kahnawà:ke Tourism Newsletter, May 2022

Welcome to our first Kahnawà:ke Tourism newsletter: Kwakaratón:ni – we are sharing stories with you! We chose this name, continuing our virtual tour series in our monthly newsletters, where we are able to give you a glimpse of who is on our team, what we are working on and any news within the Kahnawà:ke & indigenous Tourism Industry.

One of the action items that came 2021 community consultation and 3 year strategic plan was to be more present within Kahnawà:ke, by this we mean communicating our activities and initiatives regularly. We are after all, a community tourism center, and we want to be sure to always reflect the wants and needs of our people.

This newsletter will be shared with community and visitors alike, if you have a tourism story to tell, contact us! Please subscribe to stay up to date and spread the word with family and friends! – Kimberly Cross, Tourism Development Agent.

Meet the new additions to the team!

Stage Student

Kahnawà:ke Tourism welcomes stage student Marianne Testulat! She will be with us for 6 weeks completing her stage from the ITHQ (Institut Tourisme et Hotellerie du QC in Montreal). She is studying Tourism Management and has a passion for, and will be continuing her studies in the Indigenous field. She will be working alongside the whole team to see what we all do, as well as working from the Welcome Center. We're fortunate, she is francophone & bilingual and will help our team develop our new tour app over the next month.

“Working for Kahnawà:ke Tourism gives me the opportunity to actively participate in the tourism development of the community and thereby give people the opportunity to educate themselves and discover all that Kahnawà:ke has to offer. This experience also allows me to forge links, to listen, to learn, to collaborate, to be curious, in short, to be an ally.” said Marianne.

Maple Food Fest

The Maple Food Fest was held from March 14th to April 22nd, 2022; a total of 10 local businesses participated throughout the event. A contest was held every Monday with a Grand Prize drawn on April 22. Those who participated in the weekly contests on social media were automatically entered into the Grand Prize draw.

Tours

On March 7th 2022, 48 McGill University students from EMBA in HEC Montreal visited and toured the community while meeting Grand Chief Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer, and Tewatohnhi’saktha Representatives, at the Mohawk Trail Longhouse and had lunch at Robbie’s Smokehouse.

On March 17th, 2022, 14 Students from Insight Global Education enjoyed a bus tour with one of our tour guides. Along with a lacrosse demonstration with Director of Operations, Kyle Zacharie at the Kahnawà:ke Youth Center. The students enjoyed a lunch catered by Messy Kitchen. During the final destination at the Mohawk Trail Longhouse, students’ interests were peaked hearing the stories of our people.

Business Spotlights

Traditions Art Shop & Studio sells authentic art created from Kahnawà:ke’s very own local artists! You can find one of a kind beadwork, paintings and so much more!

Traditions also offers paint nights, beading and craft classes. Traditions is in the 207 Commercial Center (formerly Jacobs mall) on Route 207 in Kahnawà:ke. They are open Tuesday to Saturday from 12pm to 4pm. You can find more information and art on their Facebook page.

Two-O-Seven Steak & Seafood is one of Kahnawà:ke’s finest restaurants, with a cozy and friendly atmosphere that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. All their food is made in house using only the freshest and finest ingredients. Don’t forget to check out their extraordinary wine list! Come visit the restaurant and terrace, Two-O-Seven’s friendly staff will ensure you a great time with your friends and family! (450) 633-9463 for take out or (438) 923-8236 for reservations.

Patton’s Glen Par3 is the perfect way to spend your golf day with a course that is fun for the entire family! Whether you are new to the game, a seasoned veteran, or a casual golfer, anyone can shape their iron’s game at the challenging course or develop and continue your interest in the game. With a beautifully calm course, 9 contoured real grass greens, 3 water hazards, 4 shots over water, bunkers, and sand traps, Patton’s Glen has it all! Located on Route 207 in Kahnawà:ke, Quebec. Open seasonally. For more information call (450) 632-6132

Upcoming Events

Kahnawà:ke Tourism will host the 7th Annual Strawberry Food Fest this June! The Strawberry Food Fest is a collective event, where the theme of strawberries and community culinary creations made with strawberries is promoted throughout the community for the whole month. Follow us on social media for more updates!

Got Land? Indigenous Comics coming June 11th, 2022 hosted at La Vista. They will take the stage with 1 headliner, 3-4 middle acts and 1 host. $10.00 from each ticket sold will be going to the Kateri Food Basket. Stay tuned for more details coming soon!

The Indigenous Block Party is in partnership with KOR and their Go Skate Day on Tuesday, June 21st at the Skate Park and Kahnawà:ke Sports Complex. Food & craft vendors will be on site with music from a local DJ, and other family fun activities will be held!

Explore Kahnawà:ke Tourism App

“Explore Kahnawà:ke” is a self-guided tour app that is currently in the beginning stages of development; it is being personalized to our needs and desires as well branded with our Kahnawà:ke Tourism theme. We have selected MySmartJourney self guided tour experience as the platform. We have over 30 points of interest each showcasing different components of our history, language, and culture. Users will be able to scan the QR code and have access to videos, information, and photographs to help understand and to learn about Kahnawà:ke. This platform will be available in English, French and Kanien’keha, encouraging accessibility in the 3 predominant languages. We look forward to launching this platform over the next month.

Kahnawà:ke Welcome Center Business Hours

The Kahnawà:ke Welcome Center is open from Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:00pm. Our visitor center is located on 1 River Road, Kahnawà:ke QC, J0L1B0

Shop Kahnawà:ke

Shop Kahnawà:ke Gift Certificates are now available for purchase at the Welcome Center! Shop Kahnawà:ke is a spectacular business community offering bountiful products and services to our neighbors near and far. Shop Kahnawà:ke certificates can be redeemed at various participating businesses. We invite you to visit us and SHOP KAHNAWÀ:KE today and every day!

Visit the Shop Kahnawà:ke Facebook page and website for more information.

Check out Kahnawà:ke Tourism online!

Click this link to view our Virtual Tours page!